Electronic flow monitor, control method and anesthesia machine

Abstract

An electronic flow monitor, a control method and an anesthesia machine. The electronic flow controller can comprise a control module, an oxygen gas branch for delivering oxygen gas, an equilibrium gas branch for delivering equilibrium gas, and a gas mixing branch for mixing the oxygen gas and the equilibrium gas. The control module can meter an oxygen gas flow and an equilibrium gas flow through flow sensors. A first flow controller can be disposed in the oxygen gas branch, and a second flow controller can be disposed in the equilibrium gas branch. The first flow controller may be used to regulate the gas flow in the oxygen gas branch between zero and a maximum value and the second flow controller may be used to regulate the gas flow in the equilibrium gas branch between zero and a maximum value.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic flow monitor, comprising:
 a control module that meters an oxygen flow and an equilibrium gas flow through flow sensors; 
 an oxygen branch for delivering the oxygen flow; 
 a first flow controller disposed in the oxygen branch that regulates gas flow in the oxygen branch between zero and a maximum value; 
 an equilibrium gas branch for delivering the equilibrium gas flow; 
 a second flow controller disposed in the equilibrium gas branch that regulates gas flow in the equilibrium gas branch between zero and a maximum value; 
 a gas mixing branch for mixing the oxygen flow and the equilibrium gas flow; 
 a first on-off controller disposed on the gas mixing branch for on-off control of the gas mixing branch; 
 an oxygen bypass for bypassing the gas mixing branch; and 
 a second on-off controller disposed along the oxygen bypass for on-off control of the oxygen bypass, 
 wherein the first and second flow controllers and first and second on-off controllers are each communicatively coupled to the control module, and 
 wherein the control module causes the first and second on-off controllers to be in opposite states, such that, if a fault is detected, the first on-off controller is controlled to be in an off state and the second on-off controller is controlled to be in an on state. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic flow monitor of  claim 1 , wherein the gas mixing branch is disposed with a mechanical flow meter for metering gas flow in the gas mixing branch. 
     
     
       3. The electronic flow monitor of  claim 1 , wherein comprising a plurality of second flow controllers, and each of the equilibrium gas branches is respectively disposed with one of the plurality of second flow controllers. 
     
     
       4. The electronic flow monitor of  claim 1 , wherein the equilibrium gas branches have one shared gas branch, wherein an input of the shared gas branch is connected with respective outputs of the equilibrium gas branches, and an output of the shared gas branch is connected with an input of the gas mixing branch. 
     
     
       5. The electronic flow monitor of  claim 1 , wherein the control module meters the equilibrium gas flow through the second flow sensor. 
     
     
       6. The electronic flow monitor of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen branch is further disposed with a first flow sensor communicated with the control module through signals. 
     
     
       7. The electronic flow monitor of  claim 5 , wherein the oxygen branch is further disposed with a first flow sensor communicated with the control module through signals. 
     
     
       8. An anesthesia machine, comprising an electronic flow monitor, wherein the electronic flow monitor comprises:
 a control module that meters an oxygen flow and an equilibrium gas flow through flow sensors; 
 an oxygen branch for delivering oxygen; 
 a first flow controller disposed in the oxygen branch that regulates gas flow in the oxygen branch between zero and a maximum value; 
 an equilibrium gas branch for delivering equilibrium gas; 
 a second flow controller disposed in the equilibrium gas branch that regulates gas flow in the equilibrium gas branch between zero and a maximum value; 
 a gas mixing branch for mixing the oxygen and the equilibrium gas; 
 a first on-off controller disposed in the gas mixing branch for on-off control of the gas mixing branch; 
 an oxygen bypass for bypassing the gas mixing branch; and 
 a second on-off controller disposed in the oxygen bypass for on-off control of the oxygen bypass, 
 wherein the first and second flow controllers and first and second on-off controllers are each communicatively coupled to the control module, and 
 wherein the control module causes the first and second on-off controllers to be in opposite states, such that, if a fault is detected, the first on-off controller is controlled to be in an off state and the second on-off controller is controlled to be in an on state. 
 
     
     
       9. The anesthesia machine of  claim 8 , wherein the gas mixing branch is disposed with a mechanical flow meter for metering gas flow in the gas mixing branch. 
     
     
       10. The anesthesia machine of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic flow monitor comprises a plurality of equilibrium gas branches, and each of the equilibrium gas branches is respectively disposed with a second flow controller. 
     
     
       11. The anesthesia machine of  claim 10 , wherein the equilibrium gas branches have one shared gas branch, wherein an input of the shared gas branch is connected with respective outputs of the equilibrium gas branches, and an output of the shared gas branch is connected with an input of the gas mixing branch. 
     
     
       12. The anesthesia machine of  claim 11 , wherein the shared gas branch is disposed with a second flow sensor in communication with the control module through signals; the control module meters the equilibrium gas flow through the second flow sensor. 
     
     
       13. The anesthesia machine of  claim 8 , wherein the oxygen branch is further disposed with a first flow sensor communicated with the control module through signals. 
     
     
       14. A method for controlling an electronic flow monitor,
 wherein the electronic flow monitor comprises:
 a control module that meters an oxygen flow and an equilibrium gas flow through flow sensors; 
 an oxygen branch for delivering oxygen; 
 a first flow controller disposed in the oxygen branch that regulates gas flow in the oxygen branch between zero and a maximum value; 
 an equilibrium gas branch for delivering equilibrium gas; 
 a second flow controller disposed in the equilibrium gas branch that regulates gas flow in the equilibrium gas branch between zero and a maximum value; 
 a gas mixing branch for mixing the oxygen and the equilibrium gas; 
 a first on-off controller disposed in the gas mixing branch for on-off control of the gas mixing branch; 
 an oxygen bypass for bypassing the gas mixing branch; and 
 a second on-off controller disposed in the oxygen bypass for on-off control of the oxygen bypass, 
 wherein the first and second flow controllers and first and second on-off controllers are each communicatively coupled to the control module, and 
 wherein the control module causes the first and second on-off controllers to be in opposite states, such that, if a fault is detected, the first on-off controller is controlled to be in an off state and the second on-off controller is controlled to be in an on state, 
 
 wherein the method comprises:
 receiving preset parameters including oxygen concentration, total flow and equilibrium gas type; 
 obtaining preset flows of oxygen and equilibrium gas based on the preset parameters; and 
 respectively controlling actual flows of the oxygen and the equilibrium gas by the first flow controller and the second flow controller such that the actual flows and the preset flows are consistent. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein after obtaining the set flows of the oxygen and the equilibrium gas, the method further comprises:
 controlling the actual flows of the oxygen and the equilibrium gas by the first flow controller and the second flow controller when there is no system fault. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the gas mixing branch is disposed with a mechanical flow meter for metering gas flow in the gas mixing branch. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the equilibrium gas branch includes a plurality of equilibrium gas branches and the second flow controller includes a plurality of second flow controllers, and each of the plurality of equilibrium gas branches includes one of the plurality of second flow controllers. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the equilibrium gas branches have one shared gas branch, wherein an input of the shared gas branch is connected with respective outputs of the equilibrium gas branches, and an output of the shared gas branch is connected with an input of the gas mixing branch.